Positive North Down batting defeats Lisburn

Lisburn travelled to Comber last Saturday and having scored a creditable 243 for 5 in their innings, were batted out of the game by a selection of class contributions by the home side.
Darryl Brown prepares to bowl for Lisburn. US1427-518cd Picture: Cliff DonaldsonDarryl Brown prepares to bowl for Lisburn. US1427-518cd Picture: Cliff Donaldson
Darryl Brown prepares to bowl for Lisburn. US1427-518cd Picture: Cliff Donaldson

They lost by 7 wickets after weather had intervened mid-afternoon but the employment of Duckworth/Lewis had little bearing on the result.

Lisburn were asked to bat first with the weather forecast taken into consideration by North Down but the openers, Robert Rankin and James Magowan were in good form adding 64 runs on the true wicket in just 15 overs when James Magowan was lbw to Aiken for 23 but Robert Rankin and number three Craig Ervine continued to score freely against the various pace and spin used by the Comber side.

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They had put on another 64 in the next 14 overs before Rankin, again threatening a long awaited big score, was out caught and bowled by spinner Marty Moreland for a fine 63 scored off just 89 balls including eight boundaries.

Lisburn, just short of the 30 over mark were well placed at 128 for 2 with their top player, Craig Ervine in full flow. He was well supported by Lisburn captain Davey Simpson as the pair added a further 52 for the 3rd wicket in the ensuing 11 overs to take the visitors to 180 before Simpson was caught off the bowling of Temur Khan for a useful 27.

With Lisburn, now 180 with just 9 overs left in their innings, the batsmen at the crease had to consider their final tally with around 250 being competitive. Both Ervine and Darryl Brown began to strike the ball with more purpose adding 24 in only 4 overs but the prospect of 250 was shattered when Craig Ervine was caught by Ryan Haire for another fine contribution of 72. His innings was hampered as he was feeling under the weather with flu but he was still able to top score and strike six boundaries and a six in his 30 overs at the wicket.

Darryl Brown again took it on himself to push the score as high as he could and with some selective hitting he guided Lisburn to the safer position of 243 for 5 with the loss of just Adam Berry. Brown remained 35 not out with three fours and a very large 6 but Lisburn knew they had ended their innings slightly under par by 20 or 30 runs.

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North Down began their reply by losing their hard hitting opener, Johnny Terrett in the first over but it brought together Nick Larkin and Alan Sutherland who for the next 25 overs looked in little trouble adding a match winning 142 runs with the help of some average fielding from a Lisburn team which failed to compete as they had last Sunday against CSNI.

They did manage to take the wicket of Larkin who looked to be a class act; caught and bowled by Craig Ervine in the 27th over for a superb 82 and after a severe rain storm, North Down required 227 from 42 overs having employed the Duckworth/Lewis calculation.

North Down took up where they left off with Sutherland and Ryan Haire advancing their score to 163 when the partnership of 19 was broken with the departure of Sutherland for an impressive 66, bowled by Craig Ervine in the 30th over.

Again, North Down did not falter in their striking of the ball with Ryan Haire joined by the experience of Temur Khan and aided by poor outfielding by Lisburn had no difficulty in adding the remaining 65 runs required for victory with more than 3 overs to spare.

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The positive batting approach by North Down had made little of the 243 runs scored by Lisburn and in Larkin, Sutherland, Haire and Khan had the class to demoralise the Lisburn attack with only Craig Ervine with 2 for 42 off 9 overs doing himself credit. Davey Simpson had 1 for 53 off just 6 overs. All the other Lisburn bowlers failed to take a wicket; Brown 0 for 35, Magowan 0 for 43, Richard McConkey, 0 for 37 and Mark Berry, 0 for 15 off just his two overs.

Lisburn do not have a fixture this Saturday due to the 12th holiday with their next match being against CIYMS in the Park on July 19.

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